Seared Star Raúl Esparza Considers Why 'Chefs Are So Hot' and the Possibility of Tattoos in His Future

Raúl Esparza is currently showing off his cooking skills in MCC Theater's Seared, which turns the off-Broadway stage into a functioning kitchen of a Brooklyn restaurant. Tony-nominated for his turns in Company, Taboo, Speed-the-Plow and The Homecoming, this marks Esparza's first time appearing in a new play in New York City. To celebrate the show's upcoming opening night on October 28, Esparza stopped by Broadway.com's #LiveatFive to talk to Beth Stevens all about his newly found cooking skills, new projects and the upcoming Tick, Tick... Boom! movie.

In the New York premiere of Theresa Rebeck's new work, Esparza plays the hot-headed Harry who is the sole chef of his recently acclaimed restaurant. "I'm really cooking on stage; I make seven full meals," he said. "It's serious choreography but harder because you're working with hot oil and pans. I took a lot of practice to get those knife skills, there was a lot of jamming knives into my nail beds and cutting fingers. There's a moment when I use a really sharp knife, and it's so satisfying. What makes chefs so hot? I don't know what it is, but it's there for sure."

Not only has playing Harry helped Esparza become more confident in the kitchen, but his role may leave a permanent mark. "These are fake tattoos, but I'm thinking I'll take a vote on if I should get them for real," he said. "Some of them were Krysta [Rodriguez]'s idea. It was a collaborative thing on what we thought Harry would have. Tilly [Grimes], our costume designer kept saying, 'I should be designing clothes, but I'm working on your tattoos.' I quite like them."

Esparza is known for playing some of the most beloved characters in musical theater, including originating the role of Jon in Tick, Tick... Boom!. With the upcoming Lin-Manuel Miranda-helmed movie on its way, Esparza reflected on his time with the show. "I think [the movie] is a really beautiful thing," he said. "It's one of the most important things I've ever had the privileged of being a part of. It feels like it was a million years ago, and it feels like it was yesterday. The play is so associated to 9/11 for me. Yes, it happened during that time, but particularly because the play seemed to be speaking for the audience that was coming to see it. A play about New Yorkers, for New Yorkers, watched by New Yorkers, that's an incredible thing when it happens. In a way, Tick, Tick... Boom! felt prophetic."

With a Tony nomination in every acting category, Esparza is ready to see the stage from a different perspective. "I would love to direct, though it is challenging to imagine because I talk too much and the best directors tend not to talk a lot," he said. "There's nothing I love more, particularly working on new musicals, where you're in a room just tearing up ideas together. That's definitely a directorial instinct that I have. I've always wanted to create a project of my own, so I'm writing some stuff right now and we shall see what it turns out to be."

Of course, the question had to be asked; are there more musicals in Esparza's future? "Absolutely," he said. "I did Chess last year which was thrilling. There are some other projects I've been involved with, development on musicals is long. These things will come to fruition, I hope."

See Esparza in MCC's Seared, playing at the Robert W. Wilson Theater.

Watch the full #LiveatFive episode below!